It is advantageous to provide an automobile door locking mechanism with an electric motor which can be driven in two drive directions, and includes a transmission having input side connected to the drive motor and output side connected to the latch mechanism and bolt. The device can further include a clutch for the transfer of motive power from the drive motor to the closure, which clutch can be engaged and disengaged in each of the two drive directions of the drive motor.
A control rod, for example a gear rack, is indirectly or directly connected to the output side of the transmission, and this control rod is connected to the motor vehicle door closure, for example the door lock. The control rod must be permitted to move and thus the output element of the transmission to freewheel when the clutch is disengaged.
In a known device of this type the coupling element is comprised of two parts which are connected by a reset spring causing the respective resilient return. A clutch drum has a cylindrical inner wall surface engaged by a clutch element in the known device without a detrimental amount of clutch slippage. However, it is a drawback of the known device that it is of rather bulky configuration, and its assembly is quite difficult. This is disadvantageous because such devices for actuating motor vehicle doors generally must be mass-produced items. Furthermore, the complex construction contributes to a reduction in service life.